Control device

Abstract

To enable a danger caused by gas from an engine or a battery in an enclosed environment to be avoided without providing sensors adapted to various types of gas.SOLUTION: With a control apparatus to be mounted on a vehicle, it is determined whether the vehicle is in an enclosed environment entirely or partially, and when it is determined that the vehicle is in the enclosed environment, abnormality notification control is executed based on a result of a power-source-state determination of determining a state of a power source of the vehicle and a presence determination of determining presence / absence of a person inside or outside the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, and more particularly to a technology for improving safety in an environment where a vehicle is stopped. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicles and other moving objects use engines, batteries, hydrogen fuel, etc. as their power sources. As is generally known, the exhaust gases emitted by gasoline-burning engines contain gases that are harmful to the human body, such as carbon monoxide.

[0003] Lithium-ion batteries, for example, are used in vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries can malfunction due to manufacturing or control issues, generating gases. These gases can contain various components, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, hydrogen fluoride, and hydrogen sulfide, and some of these gases can be harmful to the human body.

[0004] Furthermore, in the case of fuel cells that use hydrogen gas, there is a risk of hydrogen gas leaking, and in the case of engines that use synthetic fuels called e-fuels, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are emitted. While hydrogen and carbon dioxide themselves are not very dangerous, if they are produced in large quantities, they can reduce oxygen concentrations and have adverse effects on the human body.

[0005] Due to these circumstances, gas countermeasures are being implemented even in conventional vehicles. For example, Patent Document 1 below describes a technique for detecting smoke from a battery inside a vehicle using a gas sensor. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 listed below discloses a technology for measuring the concentration of toxic gases contained in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, and performing a process to discharge the exhaust gases inside the vehicle outside the vehicle if the concentration is high. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-78214 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-154247 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In Patent Documents 1 and 2, a gas sensor is used, but since different gases are generated depending on the battery, it is necessary to mount multiple gas sensors, which raises concerns about increased manufacturing costs.

[0008] Furthermore, in an open environment such as outdoors, it is rare to inhale carbon monoxide or other gases that would have an adverse effect on the human body, but in enclosed garages, underground parking lots, or areas with accumulated snow during snowfall, there is no outlet for exhaust gases, and even if people are outside the vehicle, they may inhale more exhaust gas than usual. Also, when there are people inside the vehicle, the driver and passengers need to be aware of the enclosed environment of the vehicle, but they may not be aware because they are concentrating on driving or other tasks. Furthermore, if someone is taking a nap inside the vehicle, they may not realize that the enclosed environment has been created by accumulated snow or other factors.

[0009] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to prevent gases generated by a vehicle from affecting the human body when the vehicle is in a closed environment and there are people inside or outside the vehicle (around the vehicle), even without having a sensor specialized for detecting specific gases. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention is a control device mounted on a vehicle, the control device including one or more processors and one or more storage media storing a program executed by the one or more processors, the program including one or more instructions causing the one or more processors to determine whether the vehicle is in a closed environment, and if it is determined that the vehicle is in a closed environment, determining a state of a power source of the vehicle. and, Presence detection to determine whether or not a person is present inside or outside the vehicle When it is determined that there is a person outside the vehicle and that there is a possibility that gas generated by the power source will be released outside the vehicle, abnormality notification control is executed to the outside of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, even without having a sensor specialized for detecting a specific gas, the vehicle itself can determine that it is in an enclosed environment, and it is possible to prevent a situation in which a person inhales gas, regardless of the type of gas generated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control configuration within a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a closed environment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a closed environment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a closed environment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of a processing example of an embodiment in an engine vehicle. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a processing example of an embodiment in a hybrid vehicle with an internal battery arrangement. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of a processing example of an embodiment in an electric vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle with an external battery. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] <Vehicle control configuration> FIG. 1 shows an example of a control configuration installed in a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment.

[0014] The vehicle 1 is equipped with an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) control unit 2, an engine control unit 3, a motor control unit 4, a transmission control unit 5, a steering control unit 6, a brake control unit 7, a position information processing unit 8, an air conditioning control unit 9, a power source sensor unit 10, an in-vehicle sensor unit 11, an outside-vehicle sensor unit 12, a communication unit 13, an alarm unit 14, a bus 15, a safety maintenance control unit 20, and the like.

[0015] Vehicle 1 may be, for example, an engine vehicle that uses gasoline as fuel, an HEV (hybrid vehicle) that uses an engine and a motor, an electric vehicle that runs using only a motor, a fuel cell vehicle, or an engine vehicle that uses synthetic fuel produced by synthesizing carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The configuration example in Fig. 1 is shown assuming an HEV. However, the vehicle 1 of the embodiment is not limited to an HEV, and may be any of the above-mentioned various vehicles. It should be understood that Fig. 1 also shows configurations that may not be provided depending on the vehicle type. For example, if the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle, it will not be provided with an HEV control unit 2 or an engine control unit 3. If it is an engine vehicle, it will not be provided with an HEV control unit 2 or a motor control unit 4. Figure 1 should be referenced for various types of vehicle 1, taking these points into consideration.

[0016] The HEV control unit 2, engine control unit 3, motor control unit 4, transmission control unit 5, steering control unit 6, brake control unit 7, position information processing unit 8, air conditioning control unit 9, and safety maintenance control unit 20 are each configured with a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and are connected to each other via bus 15 so that data communication is possible.

[0017] The HEV control unit 2 controls the operation of the vehicle 1 by issuing instructions to the engine control unit 3 and the motor control unit 4 based on the required driving force. Specifically, the HEV control unit 2 calculates the engine required driving force, which is the driving force required of the engine, and the motor required driving force, which is the driving force required of the motor generator, based on the required driving force, and issues a driving instruction based on the engine required driving force to the engine control unit 3 and a driving instruction based on the motor required driving force to the motor control unit 4.

[0018] The engine control unit 3 controls various actuators provided as engine-related actuators in accordance with the required engine driving force. The engine-related actuators include various actuators related to engine driving, such as a throttle actuator that drives a throttle valve and an injector that injects fuel. The engine control unit 3 controls the fuel injection timing, fuel injection pulse width, throttle opening, etc. based on the required engine driving force, thereby controlling the engine output. The engine control unit 3 is also capable of controlling the start / stop of the engine.

[0019] The motor control unit 4 controls the operation of the motor generator by controlling the motor drive unit according to the motor's required driving force. The motor drive unit is configured as an electric circuit unit having a drive circuit for the motor generator. Based on the motor's required driving force, the motor control unit 4 issues an instruction to the motor drive unit to cause the motor generator to rotate in a powered manner when the motor generator should be rotated in a powered manner, and issues an instruction to the motor drive unit to cause the motor generator to rotate in a regenerative manner when the motor generator should be rotated in a regenerative manner. Furthermore, the motor control unit 4 limits the output of the motor generator in accordance with information such as the state of charge (SOC) of a traction battery provided in the vehicle 100 as a power source for the motor generator.

[0020] The transmission control unit 5 controls various actuators provided as transmission-related actuators based on detection signals from predetermined sensors provided in the vehicle 1, operation input information from an operator, etc. Examples of transmission-related actuators that are provided include a gear shift actuator for controlling gear shifts in an automatic transmission of the vehicle 1, and a forward / reverse switching actuator for controlling the operation of a forward / reverse switching mechanism.

[0021] The steering control unit 6 controls the steering angle by controlling the drive of a steering actuator (for example, an actuator such as a power steering motor that is provided so that the steering angle can be changed) based on the driver's steering operation or the like.

[0022] The brake control unit 7 controls various actuators provided as brake-related actuators based on detection signals from predetermined sensors provided in the vehicle 1, operation input information from an operator, etc. The brake-related actuators include various brake-related actuators, such as a hydraulic pressure control actuator for controlling the output hydraulic pressure from the brake booster to the master cylinder and the hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid piping.

[0023] The location information processing unit 8 performs processing to identify the location of the vehicle 1. For example, it determines the current location of the vehicle 1 as latitude and longitude information acquired by the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). It can also determine the environment of the current location by referencing map information from the current location information. For example, it can determine the location of the current location, such as on a road, in a tunnel, an indoor parking lot, a home garage, or an outdoor parking lot.

[0024] The air conditioning control unit 9 controls a compressor that compresses air, an expansion valve, a blower fan, and the like that make up the air conditioner (hereinafter also referred to as "air conditioner"), thereby realizing the heating and cooling function of the interior space of the vehicle 1. The air conditioning control unit 9 also controls the switching of the air conditioning system between an outside air introduction mode and an inside air circulation mode, for example, in response to an operation by the occupant, or automatically.

[0025] The power source sensor unit 10 is configured by a sensor that detects the state of the power source. In this embodiment, the power source is a power source for running, and refers to an engine, a motor for running, and a battery. The power source sensor unit 10 detects, for example, the on / off state of the engine, and transmits a detection signal to the safety maintenance control unit 20. Alternatively, the power source sensor unit 10 detects the state of the battery and transmits a detection signal to the safety maintenance control unit 20. For example, a battery voltage sensor, a temperature sensor, a motor current sensor, etc. are provided as the power source sensor unit 10 for detecting the battery state. These sensors transmit detection signals such as the battery charging voltage, the voltage of each battery block, the battery temperature, and the current state to the safety maintenance control unit 20.

[0026] The interior sensor unit 11 is configured with sensors that detect the presence or absence of occupants in the vehicle, their status, etc. For example, the interior sensor unit 11 is configured with one or more cameras that take images for the interior of the vehicle, and transmits the captured image signals to the safety maintenance control unit 20. In other words, the interior sensor unit 11 is configured as a camera that functions as a so-called driver monitoring system. Furthermore, as the in-vehicle sensor unit 11, a weight sensor or a contact sensor provided on the seat may be provided together with or instead of the camera. Furthermore, the in-vehicle sensor unit 11 may be provided with a sensor such as an infrared sensor that detects people and their movements.

[0027] The interior sensor unit 11 also includes sensors related to various equipment inside the vehicle, such as sensors for detecting the open / closed states of windows and doors.

[0028] The vehicle exterior sensor unit 12 is configured with sensors that detect the situation outside the vehicle. For example, the vehicle exterior sensor unit 12 is configured with one or more cameras that take images of the outside of the vehicle and transmits the captured image signals to the safety maintenance control unit 20. The one or more cameras may be configured to capture images of the front, rear, left, and right sides of the vehicle 1, or to capture images of the area around the muffler of an engine vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle exterior sensor unit 12 may be provided with a sensor such as a millimeter wave radar or a LiDAR. The vehicle exterior sensor unit 12 may also include an outside air temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, and the like.

[0029] The communication unit 13 is a wireless communication processing unit that can perform wireless communication with an external organization of the vehicle 1, and performs communication with a server device of the external organization, for example, via a communication network such as the Internet. For example, the communication unit 13 executes communication for a telematics service. The communication unit 13 may also be configured to perform wireless communication such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0030] The alarm unit 14 outputs an alarm to the inside or outside of the vehicle. For example, inside the vehicle, the alarm unit 14 is configured as a display unit that displays a warning on a display or the like in the front console. Alternatively, the alarm unit 14 is configured as an audio output unit that outputs a warning sound, a voice message, or the like. Furthermore, for the outside of the vehicle, the alarm unit 14 may be configured as an audio output unit that outputs a relatively loud warning sound or message voice, or as a light-emitting unit that expresses a warning by the light emission pattern of a light.

[0031] The safety maintenance control unit 20 is configured as one or more processors. The safety maintenance control unit 20 executes processing to maintain the safety of people against gas originating from the power source in accordance with instructions written in a program stored in one or more storage media.

[0032] For example, the safety maintenance control unit 20 receives information about the current location and the location of the current location from the location information processing unit 8, and uses the information for safety maintenance processing. Note that the safety maintenance control unit 20 can also execute communication by the communication unit 13, for example, in accordance with the location information, to obtain weather information for the current location, etc.

[0033] The safety maintenance control unit 20 also receives engine and battery detection information from the power source sensor unit 10 and uses the information for safety maintenance processing. For example, the safety maintenance control unit 20 performs processing to detect the continuous engine driving time, battery abnormalities, and the like.

[0034] The safety maintenance control unit 20 also receives image signals of the interior of the vehicle captured by the camera of the interior sensor unit 11 and information from various sensors, and uses these signals for processing to maintain safety. The safety maintenance control unit 20 can perform image analysis processing on the image signals from the camera to determine whether or not there is an occupant and how the occupant is moving. Alternatively, the safety maintenance control unit 20 can determine whether or not there is an occupant and how the occupant is moving based on detection information from a weight sensor, a contact sensor, etc., which are the interior sensor unit 11. In addition, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines the open / closed state of the vehicle 1's doors, windows, or outside air intakes based on the sensor detection information of the interior sensor unit 11 and the information on the outside air intake mode / inside air circulation mode from the air conditioning control unit 9.

[0035] The safety maintenance control unit 20 also receives image signals of the interior of the vehicle taken by the camera of the vehicle exterior sensor unit 12 and information from various sensors, and uses these for processing to maintain safety. The safety maintenance control unit 20 performs image analysis processing on the image signals from the camera, and can determine the environment around the vehicle 1, the presence or absence of people around, and their movements, etc. To make these determinations, the safety maintenance control unit 20 can also use information from other sensors, such as an outside air temperature sensor.

[0036] The safety maintenance control unit 20 performs various determination processes and controls the alarm unit 14 to output an alarm to the inside or outside of the vehicle according to the determination result. Furthermore, the safety maintenance control unit 20 controls the communication unit 13 to execute necessary communication according to the determination result. Examples of the above-described determination and control processes performed by the safety maintenance control unit 20 will be described in detail later.

[0037] <Closed environment> The safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is in a closed environment. Here, the closed environment assumed in this embodiment will be described.

[0038] A confined environment is an environment in which all or part of vehicle 1 is confined in a relatively narrow space. A relatively narrow space is one that is so narrow that it could be filled with exhaust gases or other gases, posing a danger to people. Furthermore, when "all or part" of vehicle 1 is confined, it refers to a confined state that poses a danger to people, and is not necessarily limited to a state in which the entire vehicle is confined, but refers to a confined state in which exhaust gases or other gases could pose a danger to people. For example, it also includes a state in which only the area around the muffler of an engine vehicle is confined.

[0039] Here are some specific examples. For example, when the vehicle 1 is in a garage 90 as shown in FIG. 2, it is determined in this embodiment that the vehicle is in a closed environment. Furthermore, if the vehicle is located in an underground parking lot 91, even if the underground parking lot 91 is not a completely sealed space, depending on the type and mass of gas, it may affect the occupants and the underground parking lot 91, so in this embodiment it is determined to be in a closed environment.

[0040] 3 shows a state in which the vehicle 1 is stopped (or traveling at a slow speed due to traffic congestion, etc.) in a tunnel 92. Although the tunnel 92 is not a completely sealed space, the vehicle 1 that is stopped or nearly stopped in the tunnel 92 may be determined to be in a blocked environment. It should be noted that the ventilation structure differs for each tunnel 92. Therefore, it may be possible to not determine that a tunnel 92 with an effectively functioning ventilation structure is an obstructed environment based on location information or communication from an external information server.

[0041] 4 shows a state in which the lower part of the vehicle periphery is blocked by snow accumulation 93. For example, it is conceivable that the area around the vehicle 1 or the muffler may be blocked by snow accumulation 93, or that the outside air intake of the air conditioner may be blocked. Therefore, when snow accumulation 93 reaches a predetermined amount or more, it is determined that the environment is blocked.

[0042] <Example of processing an engine vehicle> The safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether the vehicle 1 is in a closed environment as described above, and if it determines that the vehicle 1 is in a closed environment, it performs control to maintain safety in accordance with various situation determinations. Below, we will explain processing examples of the safety maintenance control unit 20 in each of the cases of an engine vehicle, an HEV with an internal battery, and a vehicle 1 with an external battery or the like.

[0043] First, an example of processing by the safety maintenance control unit 20 when the vehicle 1 is an engine vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. The safety maintenance control unit 20 repeatedly executes the process of FIG. 5 continuously or intermittently.

[0044] In step S101, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 (that is, the vehicle itself) is currently in a closed environment.

[0045] To make this determination, the safety maintenance control unit 20 uses the position information and location type information from the position information processing unit 8, and images of the surroundings captured by the vehicle exterior sensor unit 12. From the information from the position information processing unit 8, the safety maintenance control unit 20 can determine that the current position is a tunnel 92, a residential parking lot, etc. Furthermore, by analyzing the images captured by the vehicle exterior sensor unit 12, the safety maintenance control unit 20 can also determine whether the vehicle is in a closed garage 90 or an underground parking lot 91, and can also determine the state of snow accumulation 93.

[0046] The safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the vehicle is in an obstructed environment based on the information about the position and the captured image. Note that the determination process may also use information detected by millimeter-wave radar, LIDAR, or the like to determine whether or not the vehicle is in an obstructed environment by detecting surrounding obstacles. Temperature information, weather information, etc. may also be used as supplementary information. Whether the vehicle 1 is moving or not may also be added to the determination. Furthermore, when using images captured by a camera, the current environment may be determined by supplementing not only the current image but also images captured while the vehicle 1 is moving to the current location.

[0047] The safety maintenance control unit 20 may determine whether or not the environment is blocked based solely on information from the position information processing unit 8 or solely on information from the external sensor unit 12, but in order to improve the accuracy of the determination, it is desirable to make the determination by comprehensively using multiple pieces of information.

[0048] If the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines that the environment is not a closed environment, it returns the process of FIG. 5 and repeats the closed environment determination in step S101. On the other hand, if it is determined that the environment is closed, the safety maintenance control unit 20 proceeds to step S102.

[0049] In step S102, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether the engine has been running for a period of time exceeding a preset period of time based on the detection information from the power source sensor unit 10 as to whether the engine is running or not. This period of time is a determination threshold for the time the engine has been running continuously in a confined environment. Therefore, counting of the engine running time starts from the time when it is first determined that the environment is a confined environment, and if it is determined at a certain point in step S101 that the environment is no longer a confined environment (i.e., the confined environment has been left), the count of the engine running time is reset. This engine running time is compared with the above-mentioned period of time as the determination threshold. If the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines that the engine is stopped, or that the engine is running but the certain time has not elapsed, it completes one iteration of the process in FIG. 5 and returns.

[0050] If it is determined that the engine has been running in a closed environment for more than a certain period of time, the safety maintenance control unit 20 executes processing related to the interior of the vehicle from step S103 to step S110, and processing related to the exterior of the vehicle from step S120 to step S124. For convenience of illustration and explanation, steps S103 and onward and steps S120 and onward are shown in parallel, but these processing related to the interior of the vehicle and processing related to the exterior of the vehicle may be executed in parallel at the same time, or may be executed in succession.

[0051] First, the processing related to the interior of the vehicle will be described. In step S103, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a person inside the vehicle. For example, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a person inside the vehicle by analyzing an image of the interior of the vehicle taken by the interior sensor unit 11 or based on detection information from a weight sensor or the like in the interior sensor unit 11.

[0052] If there is no one in the vehicle, the processing related to the vehicle interior is terminated. If there is a person in the vehicle, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines the ventilation state of the vehicle interior in steps S104, S105, and S106. That is, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not a window is open in step S104. Also, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the air conditioner is in an outside air intake state in step S105. Also, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not a door is open in step S106.

[0053] If none of the determinations in steps S104, S105, and S106 apply, that is, if it is determined that the vehicle interior is an enclosed space, the safety maintenance control unit 20 ends the processing related to the vehicle interior, because engine exhaust gas will not enter the vehicle interior.

[0054] On the other hand, if it is determined that any of steps S104, S105, and S106 applies, there is a possibility that exhaust gas may enter the vehicle interior. Therefore, the safety maintenance control unit 20 proceeds to step S107 and controls the alarm unit 14 to notify the occupants of the abnormality. For example, the alarm unit 14 outputs an alert by display or sound to notify the occupants of the dangerous state. That is, it is conceivable to output a warning message by display or sound, or a message such as "There is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning" or "Is the exhaust pipe blocked by snow?"

[0055] Furthermore, in step S108, the safety maintenance control unit 20 instructs the engine control unit 3 to stop the engine, thereby stopping the engine operation.

[0056] In step S109, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the occupant has responded based on information from the in-vehicle sensor unit 11. For example, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the occupant has taken the necessary action in response to the abnormality notification based on, for example, an analysis of the captured image or a change in information detected by a weight sensor or the like. For example, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the occupant has taken action to evacuate the vehicle. Alternatively, the appropriate response may be ventilation or starting to move the vehicle 1 (escape from the closed environment). If it is determined that there is an appropriate response, the processing related to the inside of the vehicle is terminated.

[0057] If it cannot be determined that there has been an appropriate occupant response, the safety maintenance control unit 20 proceeds to step S110 and controls the communication unit 13 to transmit information about the occupant's abnormality. This is a process of determining that the occupant is in a dangerous state, such as being unconscious, and transmitting an emergency rescue request to an external organization such as a telematics service organization or a rescue organization. In this case, it is desirable to simultaneously transmit information such as location information, occupant status, and type of danger, so that the rescue organization can easily grasp the situation.

[0058] Next, the processing relating to the outside of the vehicle will be described. If the engine is driven for a certain period of time or more in a closed environment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 also executes processing relating to the outside of the vehicle from step S120 onwards.

[0059] In step S120, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a person outside the vehicle. Since this is the case when it is determined that the vehicle is in a closed environment, it is a determination of whether or not there is a person in the space that has been determined to be a closed environment. This can be thought of as the presence or absence of a person around the vehicle 1. For example, the safety maintenance control unit 20 analyzes images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 captured by the vehicle exterior sensor unit 12, or determines whether or not there is a person around the vehicle 1 using a sensor such as a millimeter wave radar.

[0060] If there is no person outside the vehicle, the processing relating to the outside of the vehicle is terminated. If there is a person outside the vehicle, the safety maintenance control unit 20 controls the alarm unit 14 in step S121 to notify people outside the vehicle of an abnormality. For example, the alarm unit 14 outputs an alert by alarm sound or message to notify people outside the vehicle of a dangerous situation.

[0061] Furthermore, in step S122, the safety maintenance control unit 20 instructs the engine control unit 3 to stop the engine, thereby stopping the engine operation.

[0062] In step S123, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a reaction from people in the vicinity based on information from the vehicle exterior sensor unit 12. For example, by analyzing the captured image, it determines whether or not the people in the vicinity have taken appropriate action, such as moving away from the vehicle 1, in response to the abnormality notification. If it is determined that there has been an appropriate response, the processing relating to the outside of the vehicle is terminated.

[0063] If it cannot be determined that the people in the vicinity have responded appropriately, the safety maintenance control unit 20 proceeds to step S124 and controls the communication unit 13 to transmit information about the person's abnormality. This is a process of determining that the people in the vicinity are in a dangerous state and transmitting an emergency rescue request to an external organization such as a telematics service organization or a rescue organization. In this case, it is also desirable to simultaneously transmit information such as location information, the status of the people around the vehicle 1, and the type of danger, so that the rescue organization can easily grasp the situation.

[0064] <Example of processing for HEV with internal battery placement> Next, an example of processing by the safety maintenance control unit 20 in the vehicle 1 that is an HEV and has an internal battery will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, the same processing as in Fig. 5 is assigned the same step number, and overlapping detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0065] The safety maintenance control unit 20 repeatedly executes the process of FIG. 6 continuously or intermittently. In step S101, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is currently in a closed environment. If the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines that the environment is not a closed environment, it returns the process of FIG. 6 and repeats the closed environment determination in step S101.

[0066] On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle is in a closed environment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 executes engine-related processing from step S102 to step S124 and battery-related processing from step S150 to step S156. For convenience of illustration and explanation, steps S102 and onward and steps S150 and onward are shown in parallel, but these engine-related processing and battery-related processing may be performed simultaneously in parallel, or may be performed in succession.

[0067] The processing from step S102 to step S124 relating to the engine is the same as that in Fig. 5. That is, in step S102, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the engine has been driven for more than a preset certain time period. If it is determined that the engine has been running in a closed environment for more than a certain period of time, the safety maintenance control unit 20 executes the processing related to the interior of the vehicle from step S103 to step S110 and the processing related to the exterior of the vehicle from step S120 to step S124 as described in FIG. 5.

[0068] The battery-related processing will be described. In step S150, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a battery abnormality. For example, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines, based on the detection information from the power source sensor unit 10, whether the battery temperature is abnormal, whether the charging voltage is abnormal, whether the voltage difference between battery blocks is abnormal, whether the motor drive current value is abnormal, etc.

[0069] If it is determined that the battery is not abnormal, the battery processing ends. If it is determined that there is a battery abnormality, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines in step S151 whether or not there is a person in the vehicle.

[0070] If there is a person in the vehicle, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines the ventilation state in the vehicle in steps S152, S153, and S154. In step S152, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether the window is closed to a certain extent or more. For example, it determines whether the window is closed halfway or more, or three-quarters or more. This is to determine the degree of sealing. In step S153, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether the air conditioner is in the inside air recirculation mode. In step S154, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether the door is closed.

[0071] If a negative result is obtained in any of steps S152, S153, and S154, it can be said that the vehicle interior is not sealed, and in this case, the safety maintenance control unit 20 ends the processing related to the battery.

[0072] On the other hand, if positive results are obtained in all of steps S152, S153, and S154, the vehicle interior is sealed (or nearly sealed), and in this case, gas generated by the battery abnormality may fill the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, the safety maintenance control unit 20 proceeds to step S155 and controls the warning unit 14 to notify the occupant of the abnormality. For example, the warning unit 14 outputs an alert to notify the occupant of the dangerous state by display or sound. That is, it is conceivable to output a warning message such as "There is a risk of gas poisoning" or "Please get out of the vehicle" by a warning display, a warning sound, or a voice or display.

[0073] Furthermore, in step S156, the safety maintenance control unit 20 instructs the motor control unit 4 to cut off the power supply to the battery, thereby cutting off the power supply to the battery.

[0074] Thereafter, the safety maintenance control unit 20 proceeds to step S109 to determine whether or not the passengers in the vehicle are responding, and then, depending on the determination result, performs processing to transmit an emergency rescue request or the like to an external organization in step S110.

[0075] <Example of processing for electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles with external battery placement> Next, an example of processing by the safety maintenance control unit 20 in the case of an electric vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle in which the battery is installed outside the vehicle 1, such as under the floor of the vehicle 1, will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Note that in Fig. 7, the same processing as in Fig. 5 is assigned the same step number, and duplicated detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0076] The safety maintenance control unit 20 repeatedly executes the process of FIG. 7 continuously or intermittently. In step S101, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is currently in a closed environment. If the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines that the environment is not a closed environment, it returns the process of FIG. 7 and repeats the closed environment determination in step S101.

[0077] On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle is in a closed environment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a battery abnormality in step S160. In this case, the battery abnormality refers to the presence or absence of an abnormality in the battery, fuel cell system, or hydrogen tank located outside the vehicle. The safety maintenance control unit 20 performs these abnormality determinations based on detection information from the power source sensor unit 10.

[0078] If it is not determined that the battery is abnormal, the process of FIG. 7 returns, and the safety maintenance control unit 20 continues to perform the process of step S101.

[0079] If a battery abnormality is determined to exist in a closed environment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 executes processes related to the interior of the vehicle from step S161 to step S110 and processes related to the exterior of the vehicle from step S170 to step S124. Although these processes are shown in parallel for the sake of convenience in the drawings and explanation, the processes related to the interior of the vehicle and the processes related to the exterior of the vehicle may be executed in parallel at the same time, or may be executed in succession.

[0080] First, the processing related to the interior of the vehicle will be described. In step S161, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a person in the vehicle. If there is no one in the vehicle, the processing related to the vehicle interior is terminated.

[0081] If there is a person in the vehicle, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines the ventilation state of the vehicle interior in steps S162, S163, and S164. That is, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not a window is open in step S162. Also, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the air conditioner is in an outside air intake state in step S163. Also, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not a door is open in step S164.

[0082] If the determination in steps S162, S163, and S164 is negative, that is, if the vehicle interior is determined to be an enclosed space, the safety maintenance control unit 20 ends the processing related to the vehicle interior. This is because even if gas is generated due to a battery abnormality, it will not enter the vehicle interior.

[0083] On the other hand, if it is determined that any of steps S162, S163, and S164 applies, if gas is generated due to a battery abnormality, there is a possibility that the gas will enter the vehicle interior. Therefore, the safety maintenance control unit 20 proceeds to step S165 and controls the alarm unit 14 to notify the occupants of the abnormality. For example, the alarm unit 14 outputs an alert by display or sound to notify the occupants of the dangerous state.

[0084] Furthermore, in step S166, the safety maintenance control unit 20 instructs the motor control unit 4 to cut off the power supply to the battery, thereby cutting off the power supply to the battery.

[0085] Thereafter, in step S109, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not the passengers in the vehicle have responded, and then, in accordance with the determination result, in step S110, performs processing to transmit an emergency rescue request or the like to an external organization.

[0086] Next, the processing relating to the outside of the vehicle will be described. When it is determined that a battery abnormality has occurred in a closed environment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 also executes processing relating to the outside of the vehicle from step S170 onwards.

[0087] In step S170, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a person outside the vehicle (around the vehicle 1). If there is no person outside the vehicle, the processing relating to the outside of the vehicle is terminated. If there is a person outside the vehicle, the safety maintenance control unit 20 controls the alarm unit 14 in step S171 to notify people outside the vehicle of an abnormality. For example, the alarm unit 14 outputs an alert by alarm sound or message to notify people outside the vehicle of a dangerous situation.

[0088] Furthermore, in step S172, the safety maintenance control unit 20 instructs the motor control unit 4 to cut off the power supply to the battery, thereby cutting off the power supply to the battery.

[0089] Thereafter, in step S123, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines, based on information from the vehicle exterior sensor unit 12, whether or not there is a reaction from people in the vicinity. If it cannot be determined that the people in the vicinity have responded appropriately, the safety maintenance control unit 20 proceeds to step S124 and performs control to have the communication unit 13 transmit information about the person's abnormality.

[0090] <Effects of the embodiment> In the above embodiment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 of the vehicle 1 determines whether all or part of the vehicle 1 is in a blocked environment, and if it is determined that the vehicle 1 is in a blocked environment, executes abnormality notification control based on the result of a power source state determination that determines the state of the power source of the vehicle 1 and a presence determination that determines whether or not there is a person inside or outside the vehicle. By having the vehicle 1 itself determine that it is in a closed environment, it is possible to prevent people from inhaling gas regardless of the type of gas generated, and to notify people of the possibility of danger, ensuring their safety. This also eliminates the need to install gas sensors for different types of gas that may be generated.

[0091] In the embodiment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 executes the power source stop control in addition to the abnormality notification control. For example, in an engine-equipped vehicle, if the engine has been running for a preset period of time or longer in a closed environment, the engine is turned off (S108, S122). Also, in an HEV, electric vehicle, fuel cell vehicle, or the like, if a battery abnormality is detected, power cutoff control is executed (S156, S166, S172). This makes it possible to prevent gas generation, even if it has occurred, from progressing.

[0092] In the embodiment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 executes abnormality notification control for the interior of the vehicle when it determines, based on the power source status determination, the presence of a person in the vehicle, and the ventilation status determination within the vehicle compartment, that there is a possibility that a person is present in the vehicle and that gas generated by the power source may be generated inside the vehicle (S107, S155, S165). For example, consider the following case. - When exhaust fumes from the engine can enter the vehicle interior through an open window, door, or air intake. In vehicle 1 where the battery is located inside the vehicle, the windows, doors, and outside air intakes are closed, and there is a possibility that gas caused by a battery abnormality may fill the interior of the vehicle. In a vehicle 1 where the battery is located outside the vehicle, there is a possibility that gases caused by a battery malfunction may enter the vehicle through an open window, door, or outside air intake. By determining these situations and issuing an abnormality notification within the vehicle, it is possible to notify people inside the vehicle of the possibility of danger and encourage them to ensure their safety.

[0093] In the embodiment, an abnormality notification is made in accordance with the ventilation status determination in the vehicle cabin (S104, S105, S106 or S162, S163, S164), but regardless of the ventilation status, the occupant may be notified of the abnormality and asked to take the necessary action.

[0094] In the embodiment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 determines, based on the power source state determination and the presence of a person outside the vehicle, that there is a person outside the vehicle and that there is a possibility that gas generated by the power source will be released outside the vehicle, and then executes abnormality notification control to the outside of the vehicle (S121, S171). For example, consider the following case. - When exhaust gas is being emitted by the engine. - When the windows, doors, or air intake vents of Vehicle 1, in which the battery is located inside the vehicle, are open and gas caused by a battery abnormality may be released outside the vehicle. - When there is a possibility that gas may be generated due to a battery abnormality in Vehicle 1 where the battery is located outside the vehicle. By determining these situations and issuing an abnormality notification to the outside of the vehicle, people outside the vehicle in the enclosed space can be notified of the possibility of danger and encouraged to ensure their safety.

[0095] In this embodiment, the safety maintenance control unit 20 executes a first abnormality notification control, which is an abnormality notification to the inside or outside of the vehicle, as the abnormality notification control (S107, S155, S165, S121, S171). After that, if a reaction of a person present inside or outside the vehicle is not detected by determining whether or not there is a reaction, the safety maintenance control unit 20 executes a second abnormality notification control, which is an abnormality notification to an external organization via wireless communication (S110, S124). In other words, it is assumed that there are cases where no movement of people inside the vehicle is detected even when an abnormality notification is sent inside the vehicle, or cases where no movement of people outside the vehicle is detected even when an abnormality notification is sent outside the vehicle. In such cases, rescue can be called by sending an abnormality notification to an external organization. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 vehicle 8 Location information processing section 9 Air conditioning control unit 10 Power source monitoring section 11 In-vehicle monitoring unit 12. Outside vehicle monitoring unit 13 Communications Department 14 Alarm section 20 Safety maintenance control section

Claims

1. A control device mounted on a vehicle, one or more processors; one or more storage media storing a program to be executed by the one or more processors; The program includes one or more instructions: The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: A determination is made as to whether the vehicle is in a closed environment, and if it is determined that the vehicle is in a closed environment, a power source state determination is made to determine the state of the power source of the vehicle, and a presence determination is made to determine whether or not there is a person inside or outside the vehicle. If it is determined that there is a person outside the vehicle and that there is a possibility that gas generated by the power source will be generated outside the vehicle, an abnormality notification control is executed to the outside of the vehicle. Control device.

2. The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: Executes the power source stop control together with the abnormality notification control. The control device according to claim 1 .

3. The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: When it is determined based on the power source state determination, the presence determination, and the ventilation state determination in the vehicle compartment that there is a person in the vehicle and that there is a possibility that gas generated by the power source will be generated in the vehicle, the abnormality notification control is executed for the vehicle interior. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: As the abnormality notification control, a first abnormality notification control is executed, which is an abnormality notification to the inside or outside of the vehicle; If no reaction of a person is detected by determining whether or not a reaction of a person present inside or outside the vehicle after the first abnormality notification control, a second abnormality notification control is executed, which is an abnormality notification to an external organization via wireless communication. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

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